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Medicine and Nurses

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Medicine and Nurses
I believe that nurses should have more influence on improving the healthcare system. Nurse are trusted for information about health and healthcare and play a pivotal role in improving quality and safety of care, but this is not generally understood or recognized. I have noticed that insurance executives and the pharmaceutical industry have more influence on the healthcare system than nurses do. Nurses are the front-line caregivers in our health system, which gives us a unique and invaluable perspective on patient care. We see firsthand the gaps in the healthcare system and the consequences of those gaps. We also see where improvements are needed to increase access, promote prevention, coordinate care, and improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare.
“The experiences of many nurses practicing in the real world of health care are motivating them to take on some form of an advocacy role in order to influence a change in policies, laws, or regulations that govern the larger health care system. This type of advocacy necessitates stepping beyond their own practice setting and into the less familiar world of policy and politics, a world in which many nurses do not feel prepared to operate effectively.” Abood, S. (2007).
I really believe these barriers need to be removed and the healthcare system should take better advantage of the knowledge, wisdom, and experience nurses have to offer. It is a problem that can be overcome, if the healthcare system recognizes and welcomes nurses’ expertise, and then the nurses offer it more readily and aggressively. One of the mottos I practice by is there is a problem if a meeting is being held about patient care, and a nurse is not present.
With my experience, I have noticed that many Americans who qualify for healthcare coverage are not seeking out state-funded programs as well as Medicare and Medicaid programs or may not have been advised that they could have access to health coverage through these programs. One key


References: United States Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. (2011). Health insurance: Highlights: 2011. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/data/incpovhlth/2011/highlights.html Abood, S. (January 31, 2007). "Influencing Health Care in the Legislative Arena". OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. 12 No. 1, Manuscript 2.
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